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Critical watersheds have some attribute that makes them particularly sensitive
to the presence of pollutants. According to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources,
critical watersheds are watersheds for public
drinking water lakes, watersheds located upstream away from the dam from all drinking water intake structures
on lakes, and areas in the watershed within five miles upstream of any stream or river drinking water intake
structure, other than those intake structures on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.
The EPA, under the authority of the Clean Water Act, requires all states to include provisions for the management
of water quality for different tiers of water. One tier applies to Outstanding National Resource Water.
These waters often considered the highest quality waters in the United States and are afforded the highest level
of protection. Existing water quality must be protected and preserved, and only activities that cause only
short-term and temporary degradation may be allowed.
In Missouri, 3 rivers have been designated as Outstanding National Resource Waters. They are the Jacks Fork,
Eleven Point and Current Rivers – all in southern Missouri.
Agricultural production in a critical watershed imposes additional environmental regulatory requirements only on
the largest animal feeding operations. Class 1A operations (7000 animal units or larger) must submit a spill
prevention plan for MDNR approval. Class 1A operations, both new and those existing operations that wish to
expand to Class 1A size, are prohibited in watershed of the Outstanding National Resource Waters.
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